Category: South West

The Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria (AWAMN) has inaugurated the Oyo State chapter.

Speaking during the event held in Ibadan, the President of AWAMN, Dr. David Oluwasegun Oriyomi, said it was important that the officers of the Oyo state chapter work in the best interest of their members and the environment.

“We focus on servicing our clients; it is the quality of service we provide that will prompt our clients to pay. We must aggressively deliver our services in the same aggression with which we drive the collection of our revenues.”

Oriyomi pledged the national body’s support for the chapter and its officers, promising to avail them guidance, business support, local and international training, access to funding,  national and international visibility through a recognised strong brand and strong affiliation to international reputable organisations.

He urged the Oyo State Government to give more attention to the waste and environmental sector in allocation of funds in their budgets, pointing out that “our job is essentially preventive healthcare, and as it is said, prevention is better than cure. If our job is done properly, then, it prevents illnesses and diseases.”

He welcomed the new chapter to AWAMN, urging members to be mindful of the challenges before them as they were not in it alone, just as he asks them to show more than passing interest in Government policies, especially those relating to the environment.

H added: “Be proactive rather than reactive, guide your job jealously by providing topnotch services to your clients and the environment because there are many predators ready to feed on your sweat!

“Note that the success you acquire on your job is closely knitted to the aesthetics of the environment. Remember that cleanliness is next to Godliness. He who tenders the earth actually does God’s will,” Responding, Chairman of the Oyo State Chapter, Babatunde Mosuro, welcomed members from the national headquarters, thanking the Chapter’s council of elders led by Pa. Stephen Ogundipe for successfully steering the ship of the association from the early days of RCA, the feuding times of TCA Vs PSPs till now.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State has felicitated the Muslim faithful in Nigeria and worldwide on the celebration of the 2022 Eid-el-Kabir.

A statement by the Chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi, implored them to use the opportunity to renew their faith, hope, and commitment to the nation.

Ojelabi also urged Muslims to reflect on the significance of Eid-el-Kabir and pray for the security and peace of the nation, adding that with peace in place, many of the socio-economic challenges facing Nigeria will naturally fizzle out.

The statement reads: “The APC in Lagos State felicitates our Muslim brothers and sisters in the state and across the country. l urge you all to uphold the lessons of love, loyalty, and sacrifice which are the foundations of Eid-el Kabir, during and after the festivity.

“We must make efforts to co-exist and work together for Nigeria to prosper and move forward. Our dreamed state and nation will only be achieved in an atmosphere of peace, unity and mutual respect. We must work for peace and eschew violence that can further divide us as a people.

“Of course, there is hope for the country in spite of whatever challenges currently facing us if we are united and determined to make the nation work irrespective of our different tongues and beliefs.’

The chairman added that the festival was a reminder of the sacrifice Nigerians are to make for the development of the society and the advancement of humanity. He also urged those on pilgrimage to the Holy Land to pray for peace in the country, as they perform the  Arafat rites, and admonished Nigerians to imbibe the lessons of commitment, dedication and obedience to higher authority as demonstrated in Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son in reverence to the will of God.

Four passengers kidnapped along Irele – Oke Ako Road in Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State on Wednesday have regained their freedom after paying N1m as ransom to their abductors.

 The gun-wielding kidnappers had waylaid their victims and ferried them to their dens before making a demand of N20 million ransom from the victims’ families.

 A source close to the victims at Oke Ako, said: “The four persons were set free this morning after the payment of N1 million which was contributed by their different families and as well drivers around here who launched an appeal for funds because drivers were involved.

“Shortly after they were kidnapped on Wednesday evening, the gunmen reached out to the family of one of them demanding N20 million. But nothing could be done about it until Thursday when the families of the four victims came together and started the negotiation,” the source said.

 It was further gathered from residents of the town that, “Initially, the gunmen demanded N20million, later reduced it to N15million, N8million until they finally settled for N1million. One million naira is a brisk business for the gunmen under 36 hours anyway.

“The gunmen said the people should meet them at a location in the bush at Kuru, Kwara State on Thursday night with the money, but the people felt it was not wise, so they delayed it till Friday morning.

 ”The ransom was paid in Kuru on Friday morning. The people went there in two vehicles to drop the ransom. It was some hours after that they released the four victims at the location. We share the same border in the bush with Kuru, Eruku,” he said.

 Contacted, Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti State Command, Sunday Abutu, confirmed their release.

A chieftain of the All Progressives’ Congress(APC) in Lagos State, Alhaji Ibrahim Alao Megida has expressed that APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju  Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will shock all his detractors with a landslide victory at the presidential election holding next year.

”Just as no one gave him any chance at the last party primary at which he confounded his opponents with a landslide win,  Asiwaju will surely repeat the same amazing feat at the next presidential election, and the entire world will rejoice and celebrate with him as president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”

Megida,  who is the founder of the  Mainland Independent Group (MIG) Alhaji Megida made this statement during an empowerment programme organized for widows, petty traders, and indigent residents of Mainland Local Government Council at Cemetery Street, Ebute Metta, Lagos.

”Over the years we of the Mainland Independent Group have over the years succeeded in carving a unique identity through its sustained and intensified empowerment programme organised on regular basis for the benefit of the needy in the Lagos Mainland Area,” Said Megida, who called on privileged individuals and various groups within the APC to harness their resources towards the sustained upliftment of needy party members.’’

Students of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ondo state, on Friday, staged a peaceful protest over the death of a National Diploma student of the Department of Science Laboratory Technology, Folarera Ademola.

The protesting students hijacked the hearse conveying the remains of Ademola and took out the coffin with which they protested through the streets of Owo, Owo Local Government Area.

They also took the coffin to the Governor’s Office in Akure chanting solidarity songs.

Ademola reportedly died from injuries sustained after he was allegedly shot by an operative of the Ondo Amotekun.

The protesters issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the state government to hand over the trigger-happy operative to the Nigeria Police for prosecution.

They also demanded compensation for Ademola’s bereaved family and bear the cost of his burial.

President of the institution’s Students Union, Comrade Olorunda Oluwafemi, said Ademola was shot on the June 27, 2022 in front of his parents’ house.

Oluwafemi said the deceased was treated for the gunshot injuries for ten days before he was taken to the Federal Medical Center, Owo, where he died on Thursday.

He said students would protest from the school gate to the Palace of Olowo of Owo before taking the protest to Amotekun’s office in Akure, the state capital.

Commander of the Ondo Amotekun and Special Adviser on Security Matter to Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, Adetunji Adeleye, said the suspect was shot during an investigation into a syndicate that specialise in attacking commercial motorcyclists, popularly called okada riders with dangerous weapons and dispossess them of their motorcycles in the process.

Adeleye said an Amotekun operative was also mistakenly shot.

According to him, “Luck however ran out of one of the syndicates who was given a hot chase into a building in Owo by men of the Amotekun Corps where other members of the gang were met. There were 15 men in the building. Seven out of the men were naked inside the room filled with smoke.

”The men struggled to disarm the operative whose alarm attracted the other two outside.

”They(suspects) swung on men of the Corps, trying to disarm them and in the course of the struggle, one of their riffles triggered off and hit one of the suspects and an Amotekun officer. At that instance, one of them told Amotekun officers that they were students.”

He said his men overpowered the suspects, arrested and took them to the Corps Office in Owo where they were detained while the investigation continued

”The suspect left our facility to get first aid treatment with the promise to return in a continuation of the investigation.

“Surprisingly, the news of the death of the injured suspect filtered yesterday; 11 days after the incident occurred.”

Contraband worth more than N7.1 billion has been intercepted by operatives of the Federal Operations Unit, Zone A in the last six months of this year, the Area Controller, Hussein Kehinde Ejibunu has said.

Ejibunu noted that some unscrupulous Nigerians were still sabotaging the economic well-being of the country through the smuggling of prohibited goods.

According to him, 77 trailer loads of foreign parboiled rice of 50kg amounting to 45,978 bags were major contraband seized

‘’Others include 265,830 litres of premium motor spirit, 2,933 bales of used clothes as well as 233 cartons of  Tramadol (225mg each) with 83 packs of 225mg. Ejibunu noted that 65 units of used vehicles, 14,784 pieces of used tyres, 119 units of used motorcycles as well as 3,659.05 kg of Indian hemp made the list.’’

Ejibunu disclosed that 103 suspects were arrested in connection with some of the seizures.

The FOU boss attributed the success of the Unit to the improved logistics supplied by the management of the Nigeria Customs Service(NCS) in Abuja, inter-agency collaboration, esteemed stakeholders as we as patriotic citizens who provided useful and timely information.

“I commend the doggedness of the officers, whose diligence to duty has earned the great feat achieved over the past six months. They are a product of officers’ meticulous documentary checks in ensuring that identified revenue leakages are plugged”.

In the period under consideration, Ejibunu said five hundred and seventy-seven million, eight hundred and fifty thousand,  four hundred and fifty-seven naira ninety-six kobo was collected as revenue derived from underpayments.

He promised that the Unit will continue to facilitate legitimate trade and compliance by traders to grow the nation’s economy,” while we sustain deliberate efforts aimed at frustrating recalcitrant traders”.

Kwara state police command yesterday said that a Chinese man abducted last Sunday has regained his freedom.

The unnamed Chinese was kidnapped by unknown gunmen who also killed a police inspector at a quarry site in the Shao area, Moro Local Government Area of the state.

The spokesman of the state police command, Ajayi Okasanmi explained that the combined efforts of the police and other security operatives led to the release of the Chinese man.

He said: “The pressure mounted on the kidnappers by the rescue teams became so intense that the criminals could no more stand the heat, forcing them to abandon the victim and escape for their lives.

“Policemen and the tactical teams deployed for the operation are still  in the bushes in an effort to get the criminals arrested to face justice.”

”Chinese man is currently undergoing a medical examination to ascertain his state of health before his reunion with his family.”

Okasanmi also said the command had apprehended some suspected ritualists.

He said that the suspects’ “stock in trade is buying, trading and trafficking in human body parts.

Okasanmi said that one of the suspects, Ibrahim Hamza was arrested while coming from Lagos to Ilorin with a human skull.

He disclosed that Hamza (41) was arrested in the Orisunbare area of Okolowo, Ilorin.

The suspect, he said “had earlier allegedly received the package from the motor park.

He added: “Upon discreet search conducted on him, a human skull concealed in a carton with his name and phone number inscribed on it was recovered.

“Preliminary investigation into the matter revealed that the suspect actually procured the human skull, horse head, Chimpanzee head, and other items which were recovered in his house to which he confessed he intended to use for money-making rituals.”

The command urged transport unions in the state to always cooperate with law enforcement agencies in the onerous task of getting rid of crimes and criminality in the state.

Lagos State First Lady, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu has called for a deliberate effort to debunk the various myths about the rights of women and parenting.

The Lagos governor’s wife noted that the reality of today has made it imperative for the modern woman to be adequately equipped and empowered.

A statement issued by her media aide,  Olubukonla Nwonah stated that the First Lady spoke at the 2nd edition of the Muslim Sisters’ Seminar hosted by her office on Tuesday at Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja in line with the vision to impact lives and build legacies, and most importantly serve as the forerunner to the forthcoming Eid-el-Kabir Festival.

She said the seminar, with the theme: “Women: Nurturing Lives to Secure a Better Future,” was aimed at highlighting the strategic role of women in ensuring a better future for the younger generation and society at large.

‘’Other sub-themes include: “The Rights of a Woman; Women’s Health: Total Wellness; and Security & Self Awareness in a Modern Society. There was also a Panel Session on “Parenting: The Role of a Mother/Grandmother in Molding a Contemporary Child.”

She said: “We decided that it is important that we talk to our Muslim Sisters ensuring that if they are going to have a better future, they must put their health first; they must know their rights, and they must be security conscious.

“So, we have considered these three topics; put them together on the basis of the fact that they are apt for the moment to debunk a lot of myths out there so that the modern woman can understand what is happening and be empowered to make informed choices and decisions.”

“My message to the Muslim Sisters is that they should not give up; they should continue to encourage the younger ones out there. We know that the system of the children is now different from when we were much younger and there are so many challenges and obstacles out there; however, we need to keep doing our best and there is hope for the future,” the First Lady said.

In his special message, the Chief Imam of Lagos, His Eminence, Engr. Sulaimon Oluwatoyin Abou-Nola commended the First Lady for the initiative and recommended that it should be held twice annually to cascade the message to more women as it was in tandem with the instruction of Prophet Muhammad to his wife, Aisha to gather women together and teach them lessons on virtuous living and parenting.

Represented by Imam Musbauhudeen Gaji, Abou-Nola also advised women to train their children beyond the first degree and lead them by example.

The Osun State House of Assembly yesterday reconfirmed five former members of the State Executive Council (SEC) as commissioners and special advisers.

The nominees had earlier resigned their positions to contest for various political posts. One new nominee, Mrs. Olanike Omoworare, was also confirmed.

The motion for their confirmation was moved by Babatunde Komolafe (Atakumosa East/West).

Simeon Popoola, who chaired the seven-man ad hoc screening committee, had earlier submitted the committee’s report which recommended that all the nominees, including the fresh one, be confirmed by the assembly. The nominees were screened last Friday.

The Speaker, Timothy Owoeye, said the ad hoc committee operated under Section 103 of the Constitution of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).

According to Owoeye, the governor can now go ahead and swear in the nominees.

The confirmed nominees are former Commissioners Bode Olaonipekun (Finance); Olubukola Olaboopo (Women Affairs) and Sola Oladepo (Environment); former Special Advisers Aleem Bakare (Lands); Lateefat Giwa (Cabinet Matters).